Former Mexico President Says Country Will Legalize Marijuana in 2019

Vincente Fox, the former President of Mexico, says that his country will likely legalize recreational marijuana in 2019. Fox has been a vocal advocate for marijuana legalization for quite some time, frequently stating that legalization would help reduce cartel violence in Mexico.

Fox wants to see marijuana treated like produce and would like it added to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Press Herald reports.

Fox is a board member of the Vancouver-based medical marijuana company Khiron Life Sciences Corp. He speculates that Mexico could become a primary exporter of marijuana to Canada and the U.S. should marijuana become part of NAFTA.

“We can change criminals for businessmen, we can change underground, illegal non-taxpayers into an industry, a sector of the economy,” said Fox. “On vegetables, on fruits, on avocados, Mexico produces and provides up to 70% of the U.S. and Canadian market so we are efficient in producing, we’re efficient in farming and we’re low-cost and competitive.”

It’s rumored that the U.S., Mexico and Canada are ready to negotiate a revamped version of NAFTA.